Faith in Christ
Posted 5/12/2003 7:17:54 AM
It's really remarkable how well Paul knew the Old Testament. His extensive familiarity of it combined with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit brings so much perspective into the New Testament. If you look at some of the quoted verses in their original context, some are obvious and others are not, but all were known to Paul. He knew his scriptures thoroughly.
How well do you know yours? Do you give the Holy Spirit anything to work with? Are you filling your mind with scripture for meditation and reflection? It has to be enough to really sink in, like a movie often does, and make enough of an impact on you so as to stick with you throughout the day.
Romans 10 is the rationale for spreading the gospel: "whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved" Rom 10:13, Joel 2:32. This isn't some glib exclamation or emotional response to high pressure; one who calls upon God to be saved believes that Jesus is alive, and swears allegiance to Him as his Lord. Rom 10:10,9.
This is all good and well, but follow this line of thinking in Rom 10:14-15:
- How can anyone call upon the Lord without believing?
- How can anyone believe in a Lord they've never heard of?
- How can they hear of Him unless someone tells them?
- How can someone tell them unless they are sent to do so?
All verses in this article
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